Friday, April 13, 2012

Google+ gets major redesign with simpler UI and more customization

Google announced this morning that Google+ is set to receive a massive redesign over the next few days that will make it easier to use and much more intuitive. The company has been innovating quickly with its social network, and this is just another example of their commitment to the platform.

For starters, the main page has seen a complete overhaul. Rather than your tabs bring up top as well as along the side, you'll get icons along the left panel. These are also customizable, so if you don't want the Games icon, you can simply move it. There are also quick actions that you can access for each icon by hovering over them.

Posting photos and videos is getting an upgrade as well. Larger content will appear in your Stream now whether you're sharing it yourself or viewing pictures from your friends. Google is adding a feature that they're calling 'cards', which are streams of conversations that you can join. There will also be an activity drawer to highlight important content.

Hangouts are changing too. For one, there is a dedicated icon just for Hangouts that you can stow away on your left panel. This section will display an up-to-date invitation list from everyone in your Circles, access to every public Hangouts occurring at that moment, and a rotating billboard of popular Hangouts.

These changes should take effect over the next few days, so if you don't see them right away, don't worry, they'll arrive soon. Please find a couple screenshots after the break.